Cigarette roller



Dec. 23, 1941. c. E KARST CIGARETTE ROLLER Filed Feb. 10, 1939 Patented Dec. 23, 1941 CIGARETTE ROLLER Clarence E. Karst, Cincinnati,hio, 'assignor to The Brunhoff Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 10, 193$,Se1'ial No. 255,727

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for rolling cigarettes and is particularly concerned with a structure which is readily adapted to use by an individual who prefers to roll his or her own cigarettes.

The device is of very simple construction, is cheap to manufacture, and is so constructed that it is almost impossible for it to get out of order.

One of the objects of the invention is, therefore, to provide a hand operated cigarette roller for home or office use which will quickly and effectively roll cigarettes so that the finished cigarette will compare favorably with those produced in factories by automatic machinery.

A second object of the invention has been to provide a device of the character stated which is of extremely simple construction and has a minimum number of moving mechanical parts which so frequently get out of order in a device of this general type.

Other purposes and objects will be apparent from the further and more detailed description of a device which is representative of the invention and effectively embodies the principles of operation and arrangement of parts which are the subject matter of this application.

Referring now to the drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the inventions of the application, positioned to commence the rolling operation.

Figure 2 is a like perspective view showing the rolling operation partially completed.

Figure 3 is a like perspective view and shows the rolling operation completed and the finished cigarette discharged from the device.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5, Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional view along line 65, Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view along line 'Il, Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a plan view of the metal blank from which the frame of the device is made.

The principal element of the device, as best shown in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawing, is a frame, indicated generally at I0, which includes a pair of side walls III I, having their upper edges turned inwardly to form rails I2I2. These side walls are maintained in position with respect to one another by a bottom piece I3 which is in two sections, as best shown in Figure 4. Between the two sections of the bottom piece is a trough defined by the turned down portions I3a and I3!) of the bottom piece I3, as shown in Figure 4. Supports for the frame, legs I I-I4 and I5-I5, extend downwardly beyond the bottom piece I3 from the side walls III I. A belt l6 depends into the trough between the two sections of the bottom. This is best shown in Figure 4.

The belt It extends longitudinally between the side walls IIII and has its respective ends securely affixed to the iron rods I1 and I8. This belt maybe constructed of almost any kind of fabric and should be of sufiicient length to permit its configuration into loops, as best illustrated in Figure 5; The rods I7 and I8 are supported in the side walls II--Il. Locking portions I9 and 20 of the respective rods extend beyond the side walls I I-'I I 'andare bent at downwardly to a U-shaped. 'end which embraces the legs of the frame, as shown in Figure 7. A carriage, comprising a top wall 22 and side walls 23-43, is slidably engaged with the rails I2, by a plurality of tangs 24 which are die-pressed out of the top 22. The carriage supports an abutment 25 which may be of cylindrical form and will hereinafter be referred to as a roll. The roll is journalled in the side walls of the carriage as at 26. Around the abutment or roll the belt I6 is snubbed as illustrated in Figure 4. A discharge chute 21 is formed by turning downwardly a portion of the bottom piece I3 at the ejection end of the frame. This chute is for catching and discharging the finished cigarette. It is formed by turning a flange downwardly from the end of the bottom wall I2.

The operation of the device is as follows: The carriage 2| should first be manually positioned along the rails I2--I2 until it assumes the position shown in Figures 1 and 4. At this point the flexible belt I6 will sag or depend into the space inthe bottom I3 and will form a depending loop or pocket for the reception of loose tobacco. Tobacco 28 is then poured into this pocket in a suificient amount for one cigarette and the device will then appear as shown in Figures 1 and 4. Next, the carriage is moved forward on the rails a short distance to partially roll the tobacco 28 in the fold of the belt l6. At this point a conventional cigarette paper 29 having one edge moistened as at 30, is manually placed on the belt with the unmoistened edge inserted under the forward edge of the carriage 2I and directly beneath the lower surface of the roller 25. The device will then appear as shown in Figures 2 and 5. At this point the paper has not as yet actually contacted the tobacco roll 3|, but is about to do so.

If the carriage is moved too far rearwar-dly the tangs 24 may escape engagement with the rails I2. To prevent such a circumstance the side walls 23 contain notches 26a at the rearward corners, as shown in Figure 1. The side walls ll of the frame carry tangs 26b. These extend inwardly toward one another and cooperate with the edges of the notches 26a to limit the rear- Ward movement of the carriage. This stop arrangement may be located on both sides of the units as shown, or on one side only.

The forward motion of the carriage is then continued until it has reached a point as shown in Figure 3, when tobacco and paper will have been rolled into a finished cigarette 32, sealed by the line of moisture 38. During the forward progress of the carriage, although the belt IE will constantly remain looped substantially as shown in Figure 5, the belt will slide over the upper forward surface of the roll 25, causing the roll to rotate clockwise on the axis 26 and likewise imparting a rolling motion to the tobacco 28 and paper 29 in the fold of the belt. Although it is not absolutely necessary that the roll turn, its rotation lessens the degree of friction between the roll and the belt. It likewise tends to make the contour of the cigarette more rounded, particularly when the tobacco roll 3| has become more tightly compressed than shown in Figure 5, which it will do as the carriage proceeds forwardly because of the continuous tightening efiect on the belt produced by the forward movement of the roll.

A certain degree of care is required in inserting the paper 28 under the lower surface of the roll 25 so that it will encompass the tobacco roll 3!. This is minimized, however, by the fact that the forward movement of the loop naturally tends to throw the tobacco forward onto the upper surface of the paper. I

When the finished cigarette 32 has been ejected as shown in Figure 3, the carriage 2! is then moved back to the position shown in Figures 1 and 4 and the operation may then be repeated.

All of the various elements of the device may be readily manufactured from a variety of materials. The side and'bottom walls of the frame and the side and top walls of the carriage may be stamped from tin, aluminum, or the like, while the abutment or roll may be readily formed from metal, wood, or a plastic. As previously stated, the belt may be formed from fabric and it may likewise be formed from rubber or a composition of rubber and fabric. The cross rods l1 and [8 to which the belt is affixed may be strong wire.

One of the most important advantages of the device is the simplicity of its operation, which enables a. completely inexperienced person to roll perfect cigarettes on the first attempt. Since there is little friction and practically no wear on' the parts, it is almost impossible for get out of order.

Having fully described my invention, I desire to be limited only by the ensuing claims.

1. A cigarette rolling device comprising, a frame portion consisting of a single sheet of mathe device to terial configurated to provide a base, and sidewise members including foot portions extending below the base and side walls extending above the base, said side walls being bent at their upper extremities to provide flange means, a carriage supported by the side walls and movable therealong, a roll supported by the carriage and a belt supported between the side walls and partially encircling the roll, said belt being extended rearwardly of the roll in a loop adapted to roll tobacco and paper inserted therein, to form a cigarette when a rolling motion is imparted to the loop in the belt by the forward motion of the roll.

2. A cigarette rolling device comprising, a frame constituted by a single sheet of metal which is cut in part to delineate a central base, side walls, and support portions respectively, said piece of metal being bent so that the support portions extend below said central base and the side portions extend above said base, said side portions at their upper extremities being configurated to provide rail surfaces, a carriage movable on said rail surfaces, said carriage having means engaging the upper and lower faces of said rail surfaces, an abutment supported by the carriage, and a belt attached at either end to the frame and suspended beneath the upper surface of the carriage, said belt being supported by the abutment, and having a loop therein rearwardly of the abutment whereby as the forward motion of the carriage causes the belt to move around the abutment a rolling motion will be imparted to objects contained within the loop.

3. A device for rolling cigarettes, comprising a frame constituted by a single sheet of metal out along lines residing adjacent its longitudinal edges, the said cutting lines delineating a central base portion, support portions and side wall portions, the said piece of metal being bent so that the side wall portions extend above said base and the support portions extend below said base, a carriage slidably mounted on the side wall portions, the carriage being comprised of a member extending across said frame and having wall members depending therefrom and spaced apart from one another to reside adjacent the wall members of the frame, a roll member mounted intermediate the depending members of said carriage, a slack belt attached to the frame below the central base portion at one end thereof, the said belt extending around the roll member and being attached to the frame at the other end thereof below said base portion, said belt being sufficiently slack to form a loop residing adjacent the said roll member when the carriage is moved, and the said base portion being provided with a transversely extending depression into which the belt can be depressed for the reception of paper and tobacco for forming a cigarette, the said depression being located at one end of the frame so that, when the belt is depressed therein and loaded with tobacco and paper, a forward movement of the carriage provides a rolling action upon the tobacco and paper for forming a cigarette.

CLARENCE E. KARST. 

